


Family Reunion

by Samusthedude



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5
Genre: An excuse for lore questions? Absoluetely, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-04-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 07:21:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23847364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samusthedude/pseuds/Samusthedude
Summary: Elizabeth sees Margaret for the first time in years.
Kudos: 48





	Family Reunion

**Author's Note:**

> Major plot spoilers for persona 3, 4, and 5. No spoilers for 5 royal.

Elizabeth jotted some final notes in her leather bound notebook. She and her visitor sat in a sparsely decorated apartment on either side of a glass coffee table, which was bare save for two empty coffee mugs on coasters. The walls were pearl white, matching the aesthetic of the grey plastic chairs, stainless steel fixtures, light pastel dishware, and birch bookcase.

She placed down her quill and looked across the table, "Well you have certainly given me some very interesting information Mishima-san."

The short hair boy nodded, "I know it seems pretty far fetched, but I assure you this is all directly from the phantom thieves themselves."

"Including," she interrupted, "the talk of the god of control? Otherwise known as the 'holy grail' or Yaldabaoth?"

"Yes, even that." He chuckled, "I wouldn't believe it myself if I didn't have some memory of when it happened."

She re-adjusted her navy blue dress, which fit her form much better than the one she used to wear. "You are indeed the expert you claim to be. You have been able to corroborate much of the information I was able to gather on my own, as well as provide many new insights. I owe you my thanks."

He smiled, "My pleasure! I'm always glad to share stories with a phan." He stood and extended his hand, "Feel free to reach out if ever you ever need anything else."

She took his hand without standing, giving a surprisingly firm shake, "Noted, I will contact you if anything comes up."

With that, Mishima gathered his bag and exited the apartment.

There was a moment of silence after the the door latched closed. Elizabeth's polite smile slowly shifted into a frown. Her brow furrowed, her legs tensed, her fists closed and teeth clenched. Her breathing quickly accelerated, and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears.

"Gods DAMMIT!" She slammed her fist onto the coffee table, causing the laminated glass to splinter out from the point of impact. She then took her leather notebook and threw it against the wall with enough force to pierce the drywall on impact. She continued on her destructive rampage for nearly a minute, shattering dishes, scattering books, and flipping over furniture. Once she was no longer seeing red she re-oriented one of the chairs and sat, still tense and breathing heavily.

"It hasn't even been a decade," she sighed shakily, "and already his barrier has almost been undone so many times. Even with Nyx sealed away these dammed gods keep trying to take free will from humanity." She shook her head, trying and failing to keep her anger from getting the best of her, "At this rate he'll be stuck up there for all eternity, watching the human race beg for Nyx as these treasonous 'would be deities' keep showing up to fulfill their wish for death."

White hot rage swelled within her once more. She stood, looking for something else to take her rage out on when a knocking was heard at her door.

"Go away!" she raged, "no one is home!"

"It's me Elizabeth," said Margaret, calm as ever, "I've come to speak with you."

Elizabeth growled, the last thing she wanted right now was to be patronized by her sister. She stormed to the front door and threw it open.

"Sister," she said through gritted teeth, "what a lovely surprise." And a surprise it was indeed. Not only had the sisters not met in years, but for the first time Elizabeth had ever seen Margret was not dressed for the velvet room. Aside from her signature headband she wore a simple light blue t-shirt tucked into denim pants and carried a small orange purse.

"It's good to see you too." Margaret said with genuine sincerity.

"So, have you come to scold me for my choices and demand I return with you to our master?"

Margaret shook her hear, "On the contrary. I recently spoke with Lavenza and felt it would be prudent to check in on you. And judging by your..." she peered over Elizabeth's shoulder into the disaster that was made of her apartment, "state of affairs I'd hazard that you're not doing so well."

Elizabeth scoffed, "I'm certain now would be the _perfect_ time to detail why my goal is fruitless and should be given up on, yes?"

Her sister shook her head once more, "Again, that is not why I'm here. I was hoping we could speak candidly, perhaps over a cup of coffee? There's a small shop I've grown fond of not far from here, if you'd be willing to join me."

Her anger dwindled, replaced by a growing confusion. "Since when do you participate in human social convention of your own accord?"

Margaret chuckled, "I've changed some since we last spoke. Now, will you accompany me?"

She nodded wearily, "All right. Allow me to fix my hair before we depart."

* * *

Before long the two arrived at the small coffee shop tucked into a quiet neighbourhood. It was sparsely decorated and even more sparsely populated, but the smell of coffee and curry mixed with old hardwood gave it a rather inviting atmosphere. The sisters sat with their drinks at the booth furthest from the entrance, across from each other.

"So, is this how you qualify checking in on me?" Asked Elizabeth, pouring an obscene amount of sugar into her coffee.

"Partially," Margaret responded, adding a spoon full of cream and sugar to her own, "but as I said, I primarily wanted to speak with you. How has the news of the trickster's exploits affected you?"

"It's effected me quite strongly, as I'm certain you were able to see." She took a sip of her granular concoction, "All my research has led to the same conclusion, that he'll be the barrier to Nyx for all eternity. And over time I only see more and more evidence to suggest that." She stared into her drink, slowly stirring it with her spoon. "I may have an eternity, but those he calls dear do not share this luxury. I wish to save him before the world he knew becomes nothing but a memory."

Margaret smiled softly, "I'm sorry. You must be quite disheartened."

She snorted, "Not like you would know. Your guest lives on, living life to the fullest in the world he saved from ruin."

"Have you considered that your guest's sacrifice may be the reason both Lavenza's guest and my own live on?"

Elizabeth looked up from her cup, baffled, "Well of course he's why they live on. Had he not made his sacrifice the world would have been plunged into apathy and death, your guests included."

"More precisely," Margaret continued, "have you considered he is the reason they live _even after_ obtaining the world arcana and the meaning of life?"

She opened her mouth to argue, paused, then closed it. She sat for a moment, brow furrowed and scratching her chin. Eventually she looked back up at her sister, "Elaborate."

Margaret took another sip of her coffee, "With death incarnate kept at bay, no other gods may draw upon it's power of absolute demise. The entities that caused the ordeals of both my guest and that of Lavenza were certainly powerful in their own rights; the god of control was even able to usurp our master for a time. But none of these entities could bring death to mankind. They could only bring a ruin that man would live their days through without notice."

Elisabeth nodded along, listening intently. "So then what is your conclusion?"

"Your guest sacrificed his life so that others may live. He and his allies lost much, but that is the base form of the outcome. Yaldabaoth, unable to take the collective lives of humanity due to that, instead sought to take their minds. And so the trickster gave up his power over minds as a phantom thief so that others may continue to think for themselves. Something was still lost, but because of your guest it was not his life."

Elizabeth continued to stir her now cool coffee, staring off into the distance. "Then what of your guest? What did he sacrifice?"

"I do not know for certain, but from my research it appears he's lost his ability to live in denial. Izinami sought to rob people of the truth, and have them all live in their own idealized bubbles of existence. He rejected this fate, and forged his own through the lies and deceit. Since then he's had to deal with several more ordeals, which he's either stumbled into or was pulled into by force. It seems his fate is now is to be ever aware of the truth, and to be unable to turn a blind eye. In essence, he must now solve these additional ordeals as he is doomed to be the one to find them."

Elizabeth giggled to herself, "So you claim that because my guest sacrificed his life, the sacrifices of all future guests need not be so dire?"

Margaret nodded, "That is precisely what I'm saying."

"While I'm certain he'd be reassured to hear that," Elizabeth said hesitantly, "this does not bring me any closer to my goal. Nor humanity any further from his barrier."

"On the contrary, I believe each ordeal defeated is a step away from Nyx."

Margaret now had Elizabeth's full attention.

She continued, "Wildcards have shown time and again the resilience of humans. And their influence is widespread; with each ordeal solved whole communities find renewed joy in life. The surge of vigour through Inaba after my guest's first ordeal brought new prosperity to the region. The entirety of Tokyo begged to have their will taken mere months ago, and now these people live with agency and purpose." Margaret's cool demeanour cracked, as her speech became more passionate, "Don't you see? These ordeals are not proof of human nature's faults, they show the human capacity for growth. With each ruin averted man takes one step away from Nyx and towards life. Their frequency is a _good thing!_ It means mankind will grow faster, and that your charge will be free sooner."

Elizabeth was dumbstruck, jaw hanging and head tilted 45 degrees. "Who are you that dares wear my sister's face?"

Margaret laughed at herself, "Just a few years ago I would have scolded you if you were in my seat. Yet here I am, just as invested in your goal as you."

"Nevermind that, you wouldn't even have brought me here. We'd be speaking from just outside the velvet room and you'd refuse to take more than two steps away from the door."

The two laughed together, for the first time since they lived together.

"You certainly have changed Margaret, and quite drastically it seems."

She shook her head, "I wouldn't say drastically, but yes. I've even left the velvet room of my own will, hence why Lavenza was in charge of the most recent guest."

"It must have been quite the event to prompt such a thing. I assume it involved your guest?"

Margaret nodded, "Before completing his ordeal, I challenged him to combat as you did yours. He won in the end, which was shocking to say the least. I had thought we of the velvet room were incapable of losing to humans, as we are those who control power. I was given a glimpse in that moment, into the true potential of mankind. I left the velvet room in order to seek it out, and my research has led me to here and now with the information I've gathered."

Elizabeth smiled widely, "Humans are truly remarkable creatures, are they not?"

"Indeed they are."

Margaret settled the tab with the cafe and walked her sister to the train station.

"I am glad," Elizabeth started, "that we are finally able to see eye to eye. Despite everything I have always been rather fond of you. Perhaps we could share in coffee again? I would rather enjoy sharing our experiences over the last several years."

Margaret smiled, "I'd quite like that. I'd be lying if I said I haven't missed you all this time."

"May I ask you one additional thing before we adjourn for the day?"

"Of course."

"When I initially left the velvet room I was certain that you would track me down and attempt to drag me back, especially after your adamant attempt to convince me to stay. Why did you not?"

"Oh I truly wanted to, but our master insisted that I not."

Elizabeth laughed, "Of course. I was always rather annoying to him. Always requesting new installations and attempting to bring in things from the outside world."

Margaret laughed in return, "While not untrue, that wasn't his reasoning. He simply told me that all who step foot in the velvet room are destined to find their fate, and that we attendants are not exempt from that."

"Hm," Elizabeth pursed her lips, "I wonder what our master's fate is?"

"I get the feeling that he already knows."

**Author's Note:**

> Had some ideas on lore and I felt this would be a good exuse to use them. Plus I just finished P5R and wanted to make some content that involved it at least.


End file.
